Thursday, January 28, 2010

1952 Cadillac Sixty Sedan

"Why not come in today and see and drive this great new Standard of the World? We know you'll agree that it is a fitting climax to fifty years of ever increasing quality and prestige."

Once "The Standard of the World", this Cadillac today is in a fairly wretched condition. Its owner told us that while driving full-throttle on the carretera, the hood catched air and flipped over the roof. Luckily, nobody was injured. Until the hood gets fixed (and this can take a long time in Cuba), a simple wire has to serve as the lock-replacement.

Introduced in 1948, the Cadillac was the first new postwar design of General Motors to hit the streets. Harley Earl and the chief designer of the Cadillac division, Bill Mitchell, created a masterpiece, that made the competition look outdated.

Integrated fenders, airplane-inspired bumper-cones and the first hints of tailfins made the Cadillac appear very modern to the clientele. The changes during the five year-lifecycle of the lineup were subtle, and this practice helped Cadillac to fortify their image as one of the american luxury-icons.